Process for dewaxing poultry



Sept. 12, 1944. s. s. BARKER PROCESS FOR DEWAXING POULTRY Filed NOV. 27,1941 INVENTOR. 56270 5. Bar/66 BY My? Patented Sept. 12, 1944 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESS FOR DEWAXING POULTRY Seth S. Barker,Ottumwa, Iowa Application November 27, 1941, Serial No, 420,671

' 1 Claim. (01 17 -45) My invention relates to a process for remov ingwax or similar material from poultry, together with the imbeddedfeathers. One form of apparatus which is capable of performing theprocess of this application is disclosed in my copending Patent No.2,328,770, dated Sept..7, 1943.

The patents to Bruce No. 1,960,048, issued May 22, 1934, No. 1,977,542,issued October16, 1934, and No. 2,047,544, issued July 14, 1936, showapparatus for treating fowls by dipping them in a bath of melted wax, inwhich the feathers become imbedded. It has been customary in the poultrypacking industry; as indicated in the patents referred to, to remove thewax from the birds by hand, after the wax vide a process whereby the waxor composition coating is removed from the poultry without the necessityfor hand labor-in performing the operation.

I have shown in the accompanying drawing one particular type ofequipment-with which my process may be carried out. The drawing isincluded however merely so that there may be a full and completeteaching of a manner of practicing my invention, and I do not mean tolimit myself to performance of the process with the particular apparatusshown. I

My process is particularly adapted for use in connection with poultrypacking systems in which the birds are carried on an overhead conveyorline. The apparatus shown in the drawings represents an installation ofthis kind.

In the drawing Figure 1 is an elevational view looking at right anglesto the line of the conveyor;

Figure 1a is a top view of the'structure shown in Figure 1. J4

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevational view of the dewaxing apparatusproper, looking along the line of the conveyor, and

vFigure 3 is a top view of the dewaxing apparatus.

In the drawing, the numeral 10 indicates the conveyor line along whichtrolleys I2 are propelled at a uniform rate. 'Each trolley carries ashackle M on which the chicken or other fowl I6, covered with wax, iscarried. The shackle Ills suspended by suitable means, forexample, rodor-chain l3.

A tank or housing 18 encloses stripping 'rotors, which willv be.subsequently described in further detail. The housing I8 is supported byAtthe top of the guides 22 is a crankassembly24 including a motor 26,reduc-. ing gears 28 and; a crank3ll on the shaft of .the last gear.

The crank 30 is connected to the two cross head blocks by connectingrod, cable or chain 32. The crank assembly 24 is provided either with aclutch or with a limit switch device operated by the contact bar 34, sothat each trolley I2, as it comes over the housing l8, causes the crank30 to make one complete revolution and then stop. As a diagrammaticillustration of the type of clutch mentioned I show, in Figure 1a, aclutch member 23 continuously driven by the slowest speed gear 28 and acooperating clutch member 25 slidably and non-rotatably keyed on theshaft 21 to which the cranks 30 depresses the bar 34 until the shoepasses over a shoulder 39 of the bar, and this raises the left end ofthe lever 3| so that the'olutch members are permitted to engage. Afterthe shoe 3! passes the shoulder 39 the bar 34 is swung upwardly by meansof a spring or the lik (not shown) and a cam on the clutch member 25effects disengagement of the clutch. This construction is similar to apunch press clutch. This movement of the crank raises the housing 18from the full line position of Figure 1 to the dotted line position, andthen lowers it again to, the full line position. I

The crank is arranged so that in its normal inoperative position itrests at the lowest point of its stroke, as indicated in full lines. Inthe latter position the housing I8 is lowenough so that the fowl maypass over it.

Inside the housing are two shafts 36 rotated by a suitable means such asgears 38, belt 40 and erably that shown by the arrows 46, although maybe surrounded with a perforated spray pipe 50, with spray openingsarranged so that jets of water are directed downwardly into the-housing.

The wax removing apparatus is located directly beneath the conveyor, andis shown with the shafts 36 parallel to the conveyor line. Just as theopening '48, it causes the crank operating mechanism to be tripped sothat the housing I8 is raised to the dotted line position, where thefowl is brought between the rapidly revolving of material being thrownout to litter the floor of the processing room.

By the procedure just described, the dewaxing of the fowl can be carriedout as it moves along the conveyor in the ordinary manner without anyinterruptions. Needless to say, however, my invention contemplates morethan merely the use of apparatus such as that illustrated in thedrawing. From the disclosure herein made, numerous a trolleycarrying afowl .comes into position over 10 modifications will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art, whereby various-forms of apparatus can be employedfor the removal of wax or composition coatings by subjecting the coatedfowl to contact with a plurality of rapidly rotated 'fiexbeater fingers44. The wax is broken up and ible members.

" stripped off by the action of these fingers, and as the'crank 3Dcontinues its revolution, the housring l8 drops back down to itsnormal-position,

out of engagement with the bird, which may then Some changes may be madein the detailsof procedure involved in' the practice of my methodwithout departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, andit is my intention to pass on down theconveyor line without obstruccover by my claims any variant modes of procer The fowl is almostcompletelyenclosed while, the stripping operation takes place so thatthe wax is all caught within the housing l8, and

hand picking processes, is thus eliminated. Vertical movement of thestripping apparatus makes it possible to locate the opening in which thefowl is received in the top of the housing, this being the place wherethere is the least likelihood 3 V their scope, r

I 'claim' as myinvention:

7 The method'of dewaxing poultry consisting of 'waste'and loss of waxwhich commonly results in supporting the waxed bird on a horizontallymovwax by subjecting it to beating action by a plu-,

rality of rapidly rotating flexible fingers.

SETH S, BARKER,

